While volunteering for a month on a farm in Seville, Spain, I became immersed in regenerative agricultural practices and saw how the system could restore land and biodiversity. At the same time, I was struck by how challenging it is for small-scale farms to turn a profit despite the immense work involved and the environmental value they create.
The sheep were at the heart of the regenerative process. They were moved every few hours using electric fences, a system that required one or two people throughout the day. The goal was to have the animals graze everything in a given area before moving on. Grazing heavily and then leaving the land to recover allows plants to regrow stronger, develops deeper root systems, improves soil structure, and stores carbon. Each area is left to rest for at least six months, which also helps break parasite cycles and reduces the need for routine antibiotics.
On the farm’s property, where sheep were grazed between olive and almond trees, the effects were clear. The land had been revitalised, with a noticeable increase in biodiversity and flourishing flora and fauna compared to neighbouring properties. In contrast, land without regenerative practices — dominated by intensive olive orchards — was dry, eroded, and treated with herbicides that eliminated most plant growth. Yet not all neighbours followed that path. One landowner partnered with the farm to bring the flock onto their degraded fields located near a prison, beginning the process of regenerating the land.
Despite these clear environmental benefits, the farm still faces economic challenges. Lambs raised through regenerative methods are sold without an organic or sustainable label, often entering conventional markets or being exported to North Africa, where demand for regeneratively and organically raised meat is limited.
There are potential ways to make regenerative agriculture more profitable and sustainable. Carbon and biodiversity credits could provide additional revenue. Legislative support and targeted subsidies could also help reward the ecological benefits that farms create. Cooperative networks could give small farms more power in the supply chain and improve market access. On an individual level, volunteering through programs like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) allows people to support these initiatives while learning about regenerative practices directly.
Because regenerative farming consciously limits output to avoid exceeding the land’s capacity, it may not produce as much meat as industrial systems. This suggests that consuming less meat while choosing regeneratively sourced meat may be a potential approach to reworking our food systems. It ensures that the meat we do eat is more ethically and sustainably produced and that these farming practices, which actively regenerate ecosystems, can continue and expand.
Project GreenScape is a visual and written series by Jeremy Evans exploring grassroots solutions to social, ecological, and economic challenges through digital art and photography.
